Baby thrown out from 3rd.Floor

Tuesday September 18, 2012

Baby was alive when thrown

Whisked away: The woman covering her face as she’s led from the Petaling Jaya magistrate’s court.

PETALING JAYA: The newborn baby girl was still alive when she was flung out from one of the upper floors of the Desa Mentari flats on Malaysia Day.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed said post-mortem results revealed that the baby died of severe head injuries. “A 20-year-old woman has been remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations,” he said, adding that police had classified the case as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

“Initial investigations reveal that the woman is not married and gave birth on her own while alone at home on Sunday,” he said, adding that she was involved in a relationship.

A resident of the flats, S. Chandran, 37, who came out to inspect the baby girl’s remains, said her umbilical cord was still intact and there was blood on the body.

“When I took a closer look, she looked like a cute girl,” he said, adding that the side of the baby’s head was crushed from the fall.

Chandran, who has been living there since 2003, said a mentally-disabled boy had also fallen to his death at the same flats several years ago.

Based on witness accounts, police searched several floors of the flats and arrested the 20-year-old woman on the third floor.

It is learnt that the woman’s family told the police they were unaware that she was pregnant.

Teen ‘sells’ herself online to pay for mum’s treatment

A 19-year-old polytechnic student in Singapore has gone online to “sell” herself in a bid to raise money for her mother’s medical treatment.

Both Sin Chew Daily and China Press reported that to advertise her sexual services, the girl, known only as Christine, had uploaded three scantily-clad pictures of herself on her blog.

In the pictures, Christine was half-naked, wearing only a lacy black G-string.

Since the pictures were uploaded on Aug 29, the blog had attracted 170 hits.

There was a separate link to more “racy pictures” on the blog where one had to pay to view the site.

In her blog, Christine wrote that she hoped to find a man in his 30s and that she was willing to provide him sexual services if he paid for her mother’s medical fees.

She claimed that her mother was terminally ill and in need of “a lot of money”.

She also promised that those interested in her offer would not be disappointed, adding that she was confident of her looks.

Depressed teens ‘face adult risk’

Specialist services are needed for teenagers, say charities

Teenagers who have minor depression are at a higher risk of mental health problems later in life, a study says.

Psychiatrists at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute spoke to 750 people.

Anxiety, severe depression and eating disorders were all far more common in 20 and 30-year-olds who had had minor depression as adolescents, they found.

The British Journal of Psychiatry report said further research was needed to unpick the reasons for the link.

UK charities said specialist services for young people were vital.

The study was based on interviews with 750 14 to 16-year-olds who were then assessed again as adults.

Ensuring teachers, social workers and the rest of the children’s workforce have the appropriate skills and knowledge to identify when a child is showing signs of depression will enable young people to get help early before problems escalate to crisis point Lucie Russell, Young Minds

It found that 8% of participants had minor depression as teenagers.

By the time they got to their 20s and 30s, the risk of them having major depression was four times higher than those who did not have signs of minor depression at the first interview.

There was a two-and-a-half times increased risk of agoraphobia, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder and a threefold risk of anorexia or bulimia.

Early help

The researchers defined minor depression as milder than clinical depression but lasting at least two weeks and including symptoms such as feeling down, losing interest in activities, sleeping problems and poor concentration.

Study leader Dr Jeffrey Johnson said more research was needed to see if depression problems in teenagers were an early phase of major depressive disorder or if minor depression earlier in life contributed to the development of more serious problems later on.

Lucie Russell, director of campaigns at Young Minds, said the study highlighted the importance of giving teenagers the right support when problems first arise.

“Ensuring teachers, social workers and the rest of the children’s workforce have the appropriate skills and knowledge to identify when a child is showing signs of depression will enable young people to get help early before problems escalate to crisis point.”

But she added that access to specialist services was a problem with some parts of the country having year-long waiting lists.

Rape clip found in boy’s phone

KOTA KINABALU:  A teacher conducting a spot check on a student’s cellphone found an explicit video clip of a 13-year-old girl being molested and raped by boys known to her.

Five students have since been arrested following a police report by the girl’s father two days ago after the teacher informed him of the recording.

One of the boys allegedly captured the crime on his handphone which showed a boy raping the girl and the others molesting her, Kota Marudu district police chief Deputy Supt Mohd Isa Yusof said yesterday.

“The clip showed the students kissing, hugging and groping the girl,” he said, adding that the video recording was believed to have been made on May 20 at a secluded kampung house in Sabah’s northern Kota Marudu district.

Those arrested included a Form Four student who is alleged to have raped the girl. The others were his Form Five schoolmates. They are aged between 17 and 19.

“One of the suspects was picked up from school while the rest were in their houses,” he said, adding that investigations were being carried out for rape and molest.

Asked why the girl had not reported the incident immediately, he said based on investigations, the girl and the boys apparently knew each other.

“It was only when the teacher found the video clip on the handphone and told her father that the case was reported to us,” he said, adding that it had been classified as statutory rape.

Source: The Star Online @ 9/7/2009.

Welcome to ‘sex orgy’ island

KUALA TERENGGANU: Revellers at a recent wild party on Pulau Perhentian are believed to have had a sex orgy before Besut District Council (MDB) enforcement officers moved in on them.

It is learnt that this was the second time a wild party was held on the island.

The first, themed “Buffalo Bars Pink Lady”, was organised on May 3 where it is learnt that there was sexual intercourse between revellers.

On the “Come bare under the moonlight’’ party on May 10, council officer Razman Ahmad, who led the team, said he was startled to find condoms strewn on the secluded beachfront where the party was held.

“I can’t disclose more facts as the council has lodged a police report on the matter, but I can tell you that there were activities associated with sexual intercourse on that night and this was substantiated by the discovery of sex paraphernalia,” Razman said yesterday.

He declined to elaborate whether he witnessed the revellers having sex when council officials arrived at the scene.

Investigations showed the organiser was a 31-year-old man from Kedah who arranged the party with his girlfriend from Ireland.

It is learnt that police were investigating her for organising similar parties, including in Langkawi and Port Dickson, and that she was responsible for posting the invitation on her Facebook.

Razman added that the scantily-clad teenagers, some of them foreigners, were intoxicated when his team arrived at 1am in two speedboats.

He said he decided to call his superior to brief him on the situation, following which, the police were informed and 15 officers arrived at the scene.

The officers seized alcoholic drinks worth about RM90,000, loudspeakers, audio equipment, psychotropic pills, drug and sex paraphernalia during the raid.

The party was attended by 200 teenagers, who were invited via Facebook.

Of the first party, council president Wan Mustafa Wan Hassan said the officers were unable to reach the site on time as they received the tip-off late.

Wan Mustafa said the council has slapped the couple involved in the second party with a RM25,000 fine under the Entertainment Act 2002 for organising a party without permit.

A police report has also been lodged.

Teen couple found sleeping in mosque

A TEENAGE couple were found sleeping together inside a mosque in Kedah, Malaysia, shocking local villagers with their brazen act, Harian Metro reported.

See her hand..

The duo, aged 16 and 17, were discovered by a mosque official who went to Masjid Al-Falah in Kampung Sungai Daun Atas, near Yan, for subuh prayers at about 5am on Sunday.

There was body contact but the two were fully clothed and they were not embracing, said Baharom Taib, 76. He saw the couple when he switched on the lights.

He woke them up before calling the imam. “Their behaviour is an embarrassment to the people here. It has tainted the house of God, more so that they slept in the praying area,” he said.

This, he said, showed how teenagers these days had lost their values and become completely ill-mannered.

The boy, upon questioning, said he had bumped into his female friend earlier that day. They rode on his motorcycle before they felt sleepy and decided to stop by at the mosque to rest.

A police report was lodged at the Guar Chempedak station.

Teen Sex On The Rise

More and more teens are experimenting with sex, and starting earlier too.

NEVER mind that they know little about the birds and the bees, teenage girls in Singapore are still going ahead with the deed – and in larger numbers as well.

The latest police figures show that 310 girls below the age of 16 were caught engaging in underage consensual sex last year – nearly 45% more than the year before.

Put against the number from five years ago – 163 – the jump is even more stark.

Most of the time, their parents or teachers report them to the police; police officers on patrol have also caught them in the act.

How can a young couple differentiate between love and infatuation?

The police say that most of the time, these girls are with men known to them, usually their boyfriends or friends.

In most cases, these boys are also teenagers, though they are sometimes in their 20s or even 30s.

In the eyes of the law, girls aged between 12 and 14 are considered victims of statutory rape. Cases involving girls below the age of 12 are investigated as rape. Offenders can be jailed for up to 20 years, and fined or caned.

Under the Women’s Charter, sex with a girl aged above 14 but below 16 is termed “carnal connection”.

If found guilty, offenders can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to S$10,000 (RM23,800) for this crime.

While females are the majority of victims in underage sex cases here, the law has been amended to protect males as well.

Last October, a 32-year-old former teacher became the first woman here to be charged with having sex with a minor, a 15-year-old boy.

Not only are the rising numbers worrying, youth counsellors say it also appears that teenagers are being initiated into sex earlier.

A jump in the number of statutory rape cases – from nine in 2003 to 63 last year – hints at this. Youth counsellors are also seeing more cases of young teens at “sexual or moral risk”: Of 721 children screened by counsellors after their parents had sought beyond parental control orders last year, nearly a quarter, or 171, were found to have already experienced sex in one form or another.

And these are only the cases that have come to the attention of the authorities, said counsellors.

The rising statistics indicate that teenagers here are less conservative than their predecessors, they added.

In the past, drugs and cigarettes were the stuff of youthful experimentation, but today, it is sex.

As clinical psychologist Carol Balhetchet put it: “Sex is the new cigarette.”

And while girls are typically cast as “victims” under the law, not all of them are as innocent as they seem.

Counsellors have reported an increasing proportion of girls who are sexually aggressive initiators of sex.

Dr Balhetchet said a 15-year-old girl wrote to her about two years ago wanting to know how she could ask her boyfriend to have sex with her because all her friends were already doing it with their boyfriends.

Young people may be unaware of the consequences of unprotected sex – an unwanted pregnancy or disease.

Chong Cheh Hoon, senior vice-president of Focus on the Family Singapore, a group dedicated to the strengthening of families, said popular culture in the form of hit television programmes such as Gossip Girl are also giving young people a template on dating and casual sex.

She said: “Kids today thrive on popular culture and fashion fads, and if something looks cool and gets them the popular vote, they will gravitate to that source in order to get that attention.”

It is this race to be “with it” that “blurs the line between right and wrong”.

A 16-year-old who first had sex when she was 15 said that nearly all her friends were doing it, with most of them having started at 14 or 15, like herself.

She said she views sex as “personal” and only for two people who love each other, but her friends have told her that “once they lose their virginity, sex doesn’t really mean much to them anymore”.

A survey carried out last year by the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) among 500 girls under 16 indicated that a majority of these girls were seeking emotional fulfilment rather than a physical connection; some felt compelled to give in to the demands of their partners to prove their love.

The survey revealed that the two main reasons for having sex were a desire for a closer connection with their boyfriend and being pressured by their boyfriend into giving themselves.

“Girls who want emotional support might feel trapped because they feel sex is the only way they can keep the boy,” said Yusof Ismail, chief executive of the Ain Society, which deals with troubled youth.

Teens may be unaware of the consequences – unwanted babies or disease – or are turning a blind eye to them.

A study on young people’s awareness and usage of contraception commissioned last July by drug company Bayer Schering Pharma found that about three in 10 of the 240 respondents had had sex, but only 54% had used contraceptives.

One in six believed that urinating or exercising after sex would prevent pregnancy.

Noel Tan, who co-founded Sanctuary House, an organisation which helps mothers who cannot or may not want to keep their babies, said: “Most kids – and even adults – have no clue what it takes to have a baby.

“A lot of the time, pregnancies happen because these kids don’t know how to say ‘No’. How do they know the difference between love and infatuation?”

Source:http://thestar.com.my/youth2/story.asp?file=/2009/2/18/youth2/3282327&sec=youth2

FBI, police rescue child prostitutes around US

WASHINGTON – The FBI has rescued 48 suspected teenage prostitutes, some as young as 13 years old, in a nationwide sweep to remove kids from the illegal sex trade and punish their accused pimps.

Over a three-night initiative called Operation Cross Country, federal agents working with local law enforcement also arrested more than 571 suspects on a variety of federal and state prostitution-related charges, the bureau said.

The teenage prostitutes found in the investigation ranged in age from 13 to 17.

“We may not be able to return their innocence but we can remove them from this cycle of abuse and violence,” said FBI Director Robert Mueller.

Meanwhile, in Memphis, Tenn., a man pleaded guilty Monday to federal civil rights charges for sex trafficking in minors. Leonard Fox faces at least 10 years in prison after admitting that he arranged for underaged girls to engage in sex for money.

“To sexually prey upon young girls in this manner for financial gain is particularly damaging to the victims and an affront to the society in which we live,” said Loretta King, acting head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Historically, federal authorities rarely play a role in anti-prostitution crackdowns, but the FBI is becoming more involved as it tries to rescue children caught up in the business.

“The goal is to recover kids. We consider them the child victims of prostitution,” said FBI Deputy Assistant Director Daniel Roberts.

“Unfortunately, the vast majority of these kids are what they term ‘throwaway kids,’ with no family support, no friends. They’re kids that nobody wants, they’re loners. Many are runaways,” Roberts said.

Most of the children are put into the custody of local child protection agencies.

Agents in cities from Miami to Chicago to Anchorage, Alaska took part in the operation.

Special Agent Melissa Morrow of the FBI’s Washington office said the operation has put them on the trail of a particular 16-year-old prostitute they still haven’t found.

Adult prostitutes arrested during the operation provided key tips about the girl, the agent said.

“She is currently 16 and started when she was 13. Now she is out there recruiting other juveniles as well,” said Morrow, adding that finding the girl is “at the top of our list.”

The federal effort is also designed to hit pimps with much tougher prison sentences than they would likely get in state criminal courts.

Government prosecutors look to bring racketeering charges or conspiracy charges that can result in decades of jail time.

“Some of these networks of pimps and their organizations are very sophisticated, they’re interstate,” said Roberts, requiring wiretaps and undercover sting operations to bring charges.

The weekend’s roundup marked the third such Operation Cross Country, and is part of a broader federal program launched in 2003 to crack down on the sexual exploitation of children.

Source: AP

Sex on the first date

Love at first sight or sex on a first date – there isn’t much difference between the two. Often you fall in love with someone at the very first stance only to regret your hasty decision. Sometimes this intense attraction brings with it the temptation to get physically involved.

With a flurry of emotions to deal with post intimacy, the relationship tends to get tricky in the initial stages, as your heart gets into a serious conflict with your head. It’s entirely up to the couple as to whether they want to ride the moment or hold on a little longer till they are absolutely sure of their commitments towards each other.

When we asked Gen X about how comfortable they were to have sex on their first date, they seemed pretty divided on their opinions. While some felt that there was nothing wrong in it, provided both partners were consenting adults, there were others who admitted it to be a fun-for-a-while moment which lacked permanence.

Whether the first date transforms into a long term relationship or not is not the point to be debated upon. It’s about how the modern generation is much more accepting of sex on the first date itself.

“Come on, you’re living in 21st century where people know what’s right and what’s wrong for them. Nothing is a big deal as long as it’s healthy and done with full consent. I don’t see anything immoral in having sex on the first meeting. If you believe that the first impression is the last impression, then be broad-minded enough to have sex with someone you are naturally attracted to,” says 24-year-old Jayant Batra, working with an MNC.

Fully supporting the above argument, Rajat Gupta, 24, working as an executive with a private firm, quips “Most guys believe in living in the present, rather than wasting time thinking about the distant future, so, if a girl asks me for sex on our first date, I’ll oblige willingly.”

However, 26-year-old call employee Kartik Mehra shares, “You can’t always blame men for sex on a first meeting. At times, it’s the girl who insists on it and on getting a negative response from the guy, very often women feel offended. I remember on my first date, my girl asked me if we could go to a private place and on my refusing her, she simply walked off.”

On why couples get tempted for such sexual encounters, Dr. Avdesh Sharma, a clinical psychiatrist, elucidates, “Mainly it’s because of the influence from their peer group which coerces couples into getting physically close. Often, they may feel that sex is the best option to hold onto a person and women in most of the cases think that if I don’t give in, I may lose the man.”

Impulsively living the moment, very often the uber cool generation ignore the mental and physical effects of such quick physical encounters. Dr. Sharma adds, “There are repercussions like sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and AIDS that arise. Other than this, the physiological upshot is tough to deal with, in case the relation doesn’t continue after a few sexual episodes. You feel completely used; the level of guilt is extremely high in case there was alcohol involved, and you develop a hatred for the opposite sex that lasts a lifetime.”

Understanding the aftermaths of such virtually one-night stands, there were a few young minds we spoke to who strictly stood  against the idea of  lovemaking on day one. While they weren’t obsessed with the permanence of the relationship, they were skeptical about sex.

“Demand for sex on the first date makes it clear that you are not interested in a long term relationship. Personally, I believe in forging an emotional bond, before indulging in close moments or sex. Merely one date can’t familiarise you much with a person that you agree to get cosy in bed immediately,” retorts 22-year-old Sakshi Arora, working as a client and media relations executive.

Agrees Rachna Seth, a 23-year-old PR consultant, “The first date is meant to know and get comfortable with each other. Being comfortable doesn’t mean ending up in a physical connection with someone whom you just like or have been infatuated to.”

College goer Mohit Sikka adds, “I would never appreciate a girl who believes in showing off her cool attitude or status through her broad-mindedness in initiating sex on our first meeting. I think it’s unhealthy and morally I wouldn’t want to live with any guilt.”

As Gen X stands at loggerheads with their opinions on sex on the first date, it’s all about being level headed regarding their sexual choices.

Getting too hot and heavy? Here’s are some tips to refrain from sex on the first date.

Avoid too much privacy : Most of the times, it’s the venue for the date and the surrounding atmosphere that lures young couples to have sex. Thus, shun away private places like a hotel room or a friend’s place that allows you to get cosy. Meet at a public place instead and be comfortable.

Keep it short and sweet : Try not to keep a very prolonged date as the person might try to charm you on the first meeting itself. It’s better to give more time to him/her to open up on future occasions.

Be clear about your preferences : Do not treat sex as a casual affair. Be firm on your physical needs and choices. Even if the other person seems casual enough to freely discuss it, do not let such a discussion go overboard.

Avoid any provocative discussion : You should avoid indulging into an intimate conversation related to sex as a subject because if either of you drop a subtle hint or initiate such a topic, the opposite sex may feel you to be an easy catch who doesn’t attach much meaning to a sex escapade. Try and delve into each others’ lives, hobbies, career choices etc.

Don’t dress merely to provoke : Girls often try to make an impression by donning revealing outfits presuming it will attract the male counterpart. Sometimes too much of skin show on the first day itself gives out a wrong vibe. Opt for comfort clothing and remember the man should judge you by your brains.

No chauffer service please : Get away with any hand-holding and teasing moments in the car on your way home. If you’re a lady, try arranging for your own conveyance so that your date doesn’t get a chance to ask you for a drop back home. In case of men, they should not insist incessantly on asking the girl to be dropped back, so as to avoid any possibility of a passionate contact with her.

Know his background : It’s always advisable to know a bit more about the person you’re meeting for the first time. If he’s been a Casanova always, be careful and act as a tough girl, even if you’re not!

No alcoholic moments : Indulging in any kind of alcohol intake is a strict ‘no’ on the first date. It can be really dangerous, as it doesn’t allow you to be in your right senses and unknowingly you may agree upon a sexual act which you might regret later.

Kissing the miss : When it comes to expressing love on the first date, don’t go overboard with any physical gesture, especially a goodnight kiss on the steps while bidding adieu. Make sure that it’s restricted to a polite peck and that too on the cheek as a lip-lock or even a tender touch on her lips can set off something unexpected.

Protection is a must : However, if you do decide to give into your feelings and indulge in sex, ensure you use protection and don’t give opt for unprotected sex. Prevention as we all know is better than cure, so play safe people!

Puberty, pregnancy and sex

Growing up and making babies – puberty

Puberty is the name given to the physical and emotional changes which take place in most boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 14. Puberty occurs so that one day the boy or girl will be able to make a baby.

Reproduction, the technical term for making babies, can only occur when a boy and girl are sexually mature. One of the main physical changes of puberty is the growth and development of the sex organs – the parts of the body that are used to have sex and make babies. Sex organs that can be seen on the outside of the body are called ‘genitals’ while those that are inside the body are usually called ‘reproductive organs’.

Some more about a girl’s sex organs

Between a girl’s legs there are three small holes. At the front is the urethral opening which a girl urinates through, and at the back is the anus which she defecates from. In between these two holes is a third hole, her vaginal opening. From the vaginal opening there is a small passageway or tube, called the vagina, which leads to the reproductive organs inside the body.

When a girl has her period the blood comes out through her vagina. Inside the vagina there is a small piece of thin skin called the hymen. The hymen partly covers the vaginal opening, but there is still enough of a gap for blood to get through. Sometimes the hymen breaks and bleeds slightly when a girl has sex for the first time.

Some other important parts of a girl’s sex organs are:

• The clitoris, which is at the front of a girl’s outside sex organs and is about the size of a pea
• The outer lips (labia) of a girl’s sex organs

The labia, the clitoris and the vaginal opening are together known as the vulva.

Some more about a boy’s sex organs

The boy’s sex organs outside his body are his penis and testicles (testes).

A boy’s penis hangs down between his legs at the front of his body. The main parts of a penis are:

• The shaft – the main, long part of the penis
• The glans – the tip or head of the penis
• The foreskin – skin which covers the glans

The foreskin can usually be pulled back quite easily. If it is tight it can be stretched by gently pulling it over the glans. All boys are born with a foreskin, but some have it removed when they are a baby, or later in life. The removal of the foreskin is called circumcision.

Underneath the penis is the scrotum – a loose, wrinkly pouch of skin that hangs down behind a boy’s penis. It contains his testicles. As a boy goes through puberty his testicles move lower down his scrotum. One of the testicles usually hangs lower than the other.

Eggs and Sperm

Inside a girl’s body are two small organs called the ovaries. Contained in these ovaries are hundreds of tiny sex cells called eggs, each no bigger than the head of a pin. At some point during puberty, the ovaries will begin to release these eggs. Usually one egg is released every month. This process is called ovulation.

A boy’s sex cells are called sperm and they are even smaller than a girl’s eggs. At puberty a boy’s testicles will start making sperm. Sperm leaves a boy’s body through his penis when it is hard and erect. This is known as ejaculation and it happens when a boy reaches the height of sexual excitement and has an orgasm. When a boy ejaculates, millions of tiny sperm are sent from his testes, up through his penis and out through the end. The sperm are contained in a sticky white fluid called semen.

When a boy’s sperm meets with a girl’s egg they usually join together, and a baby will begin to grow.

How do egg and sperm meet? – Sexual intercourse

The most common way that sperm get inside a girl’s body is through sexual intercourse. Sexual intercourse is when a boy puts his hard penis inside a girl’s vagina. It is also often called having sex or making love.

Having sex (which usually involves moving the penis in and out of the vagina) is usually very pleasurable for both a boy and a girl, and it will often result in an orgasm for one or both partners. If a boy ejaculates while his penis is inside the girl’s vagina (or if semen gets inside the vagina any other way) then the millions of tiny sperm in the semen will swim up the vagina, through the cervix (the entrance to the uterus) and into the uterus (also known as the womb). From there they will swim into the fallopian tubes. In one of the fallopian tubes the sperm may find an egg that has recently been released by the ovary. The sperm will surround this egg and try to get inside it. Eventually just one sperm cell will succeed, and the egg and sperm will join. This joining is also known as fertilisation or conception.

This joined sperm and egg then travel back down to the uterus, where they will settle in the thick, blood-rich lining and start to grow into a baby. It is at this point that we say a girl is pregnant.

What happens if the sperm and the egg don’t meet? – Periods

Girls generally only release an egg once a month, and it will normally take a few days to travel down the fallopian tube. If sperm don’t meet with the egg during this time, then she won’t become pregnant.

Without a new baby to nourish, the thick lining of the uterus is no longer needed. So, approximately 14 days after a girl’s egg is released, the bloody lining of the uterus will begin to come away, and will flow down through the cervix and out of the vagina. This process is called menstruation, and this is the blood that a girl will notice when she has her period. During puberty, a girl’s first period is a sign that she has released her very first egg, and is now able to have children.

Periods will usually last somewhere between 3 and 10 days. Around 14 days after the start of her last period, a girl will ovulate (release an egg) again, and will once again have the chance to become pregnant. This process of period, then ovulation, then period, is known as the menstrual cycle. On average, the whole menstrual cycle (from the first day of the period to the day before the next) will last 28 days, although variations between 21 and 35 days are quite normal.

More about pregnancy

Though an egg is usually released about the same time each month, this doesn’t mean that a girl can predict exactly when she will (or won’t) become pregnant. This is because girls usually have no way of knowing exactly when they are ovulating. Not only can the day of ovulation vary from girl to girl, it can vary from month to month in an individual girl.

In addition, sperm can survive for several days within the body, so they can ‘hang around’ waiting for an egg to be released if there isn’t one there already.

All this means that if a girl wants to avoid pregnancy but still have sex, she and her partner will need to use contraception. Some contraceptives, like the contraceptive pill, are used by girls. Boys can use condoms. Condoms also prevent sexually transmitted diseases from being passed from an infected person to another person during sexual intercourse.

Using contraception every time you have sex is very important if you want to avoid pregnancy. It is also important to remember that a girl can become pregnant even if:

• It is the first time she has sexual intercourse
• She has sex before she has her first period (it could be that she is ovulating for the first time)
• She has sex during her period (sperm can stay alive for several days)
• A boy withdraws his penis before he ejaculates (pre-come, the fluid that leaks out the penis before a boy ejaculates, can sometimes contain sperm)
• She has sex standing up (sperm can swim in any direction – up or down!)

Because periods stop during pregnancy, the first sign that a girl may be pregnant is usually a missing period. If a girl doesn’t start her period at the usual time, it is probably a good idea for her to talk to her doctor or another adult as soon as she can. Periods can come late for other reasons (for example when a girl is stressed, on a very strict diet or has been unwell), but if she has had sex in the past month, then it may be a good idea to take a pregnancy test to be sure.

Sexual feelings during puberty

It isn’t just the body that changes during puberty – our feelings can change too, and like the changes to the sexual organs, these feelings prepare us to have sex and make babies.

What are the main physical signs of sexual feelings?

The main sign for boys that they are getting sexually excited is when they get erections.

The main sign for girls is when their vagina begins to get moist. The clitoris gets bigger too.

For both boys and girls when they are sexually excited or “turned on”, extra blood comes to the surface of the skin, particularly around the penis and vagina. You can feel warm and sensitive and sexy just about anywhere on your body.

At what age do boys and girls start to get sexual feelings?

A person can have sexual feelings any time in their life, but these change around puberty. You might find some sexual feelings just seem to happen to you. But sexual feelings mostly come about from things you choose to do, either on your own or with someone else.

A main way that people express their sexual feelings is by touching their own genitals. This is called masturbation. Some people don’t masturbate at all, or hardly ever. Other people masturbate every day.

Some girls enjoy touching their clitoris. Many boys enjoy touching their penis, particularly the tip.

When a person is masturbating they become more and more sexually excited. They may then reach a peak of sexual excitement which is called having an orgasm or “coming”. This is when all the tension and excitement that has built up is suddenly released. Boys ejaculate when they have an orgasm and their penis will then go limp. Everybody has their own way of masturbating that feels good for them. For many masturbation is their first sexual experience.

Masturbation is a normal and natural activity and is not bad for you unless you masturbate so much that you make your genital area sore. Masturbation does not stunt your growth, damage your health or cause you to become physically or mentally weak. If it did, the vast majority of people in the world would be very short and unhealthy!

Sexual feelings in relationships

When people have sexual feelings for each other they will usually want to do sexual things together. There is no set time or order in which to do things.

They often want to kiss and cuddle and hold hands. When people kiss they sometimes ‘French kiss’. This is when both people open their mouths when they are kissing and their tongues touch together.

People also like to touch each other through their clothes or put their hands inside to stroke or touch each other’s genitals.

There are a variety of other sexual activities that people will also do including sexual intercourse.

It can seem natural to bring sexual feelings into a relationship. But it can also change how people feel about each other and about themselves. You might want to do something because you feel curious about it. Or because you think it will make you feel good. And you might want to do it because you feel very close to someone.

But it’s important not to do any of these things because you feel under pressure. And it’s important to think about the consequences and how you’ll feel afterwards.